Have you heard about online backup? Are you curious to know if an online backup solution for your data is even necessary? Being already backed up locally (for example, on an external hard drive, a DVD, or a USB thumb drive) is already a great start.

However, it’s just the start. It’s important to ask yourself if you need more than that in a universe where hardware failure is almost inevitable, and if online backup is the right choice.

This article will have a look at who needs online backup and who doesn’t.

Why Having Online Backup is So Great

Here at Cloudwards.net, we are absolute advocates of online backup solutions (I mean it is our job), as long as it is not the only backup option people have in place. We are very strong advocates of local backup. However, we do think online backup is great because you can optimize a backup and never forget about it ever again.

Have access to files from anywhere in the world (at anytime) and access redundant copies of files in multiple locations with ease. Plus there’s the ability to share files with friends and family.

The gist of this article is that we think everybody needs online backup, but of course, we are going to have a more dedicated look at why you, in particular, might need an online backup solution.

You do not have any backup at all. We recommend starting off with local backup, like an external hard drive. Online backups can take a while to get done and local backups are a lot quicker and can be accessed without the need for an internet connection.

So be sure to locally secure important data first. Needless to say, the next step is securing that data online so it’s always available and not prone to any hardware failure, and can be shared online.

Many online backup services will optimize a backup for you, stripping all the fat and mild mental exercise that goes into planning backup schedules. Of course, feel free to geek out and play around with the settings of any particular service to optimize a backup to your needs.

Feeling Insecure About Online Backup

If you’re scared of using an external hard drive, or losing all your data, then an online backup service might be the best solution. Backblaze for example makes online backup very easy because the push of a button is all that’s needed to start backing up content.

Other services like Carbonite are also easy to use and probably a good place start. If the need for an absolutely secure backup service is required, give Sync.com a try.

The External HDD Storage is Full

The universe maybe be infinite, but the space inside a hard drive is not. And if yours has gotten full, it might be time to consider an online backup solution. Look for an online storage provider who sticks to their namesake and actually provides an unlimited amount of backup.

Of course, you can simply buy or connect another external hard drive as well. But getting new external hard drive is still a more expensive proposition than online backup . We think that online backup services should fit in anybody’s budget.

Good online backup solutions start at only five dollars per month and you can save even more by committing for longer periods.

The Computer is Behaving Weirdly

If your computer has started behaving in an odd way, this maybe is a sign of an imminent hard drive failure.

Get any kind of backup right away! Check to see if the computer is slower than normal (even after a clean up), making strange sounds, freezing often, having Kernel panics and sending weird messages (which might be a sign of a virus or Trojan horse).

It doesn’t matter if backup online or offline, the important thing is to make sure files like images, videos or unrecoverable data is stored and protected somewhere outside of the computer.

Software & Application Testing

If you belong to the group of computer users who really get the most out of their machines and enjoy trying out new application and software a lot, then you certainly need online backup option around. As it can protect files from being deleted or manipulated by a virus.

If you install a lot of software or software emulation, this might mess around with a computer’s registry or other configuration files. Occasionally, everyone simply has to do complete reinstall of their operating system.

An online backup solution allows for smooth file recovery right after a reinstalled OS is working. Especially if the computer is not connected to an HDD or is being used remotely.

Share Files With Friends, Family & Colleagues

File sharing is very common these days. Dropbox has made file sharing very easy, thanks to its right-click on a file and get a public link to it option. Of course, this ease of use comes with downsides, such as security risks.

Nevertheless, file sharing is very important to many users and probably to you, too. Online backup services might offer file sharing, but not everyone is capable of sharing files and folders. Look at our comparison chart to find out which providers will suit your needs best.

Add The Next Layer of Security to Your Backups

Having at least two backups is crucial to your file security. Cloud backup will provide that extra layer of security needed to truly secure a current backup solution residing a NAS or external hard drive.

Do not, however, use cloud backup as your only backup solution. Even if a provider might seem trustworthy, offering multi-location and redundant backups, it is not wise to put all eggs in one basket. Some of our staff even have three backups: one local backup and two backups off-site.

While this might seem paranoid, ask yourself what is your data worth to you. I’d rather be called paranoid then lose crucial files (but that’s just me).

Conclusion

Hopefully, through reading this article, you now have a good idea if you need online backup or not. As we have pointed out at the beginning of the article, we think everyone should sign up for an online backup service just to add an extra layer of security to one’s backups.

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Before we say adios, here are some extra facts about online backup everyone should take into consideration if they’re willing to try it out. Online Backups are very affordable, online backups add an additional security layer to files and ensure that data will be encrypted. You can enjoy access to your data from anywhere at anytime, while built-in disaster recovery gets files back to work quickly

Even though we are great advocates of online backup, don’t ever trust one single company with all your files, especially when carrying a lot of sensitive information on a PC. Make sure to always have a local copy at hand.

Are you using online backup? Leave a comment below to start the discussion.

One thought on “Cloudwards Guide: Who Needs Online Backup?”

Files on our computers are very important to us all. Two years ago i downloaded a map program from an untrustworthy site, then after i installed it and ran it a flashing red skull appeared on the desktop. I had caught a virus. After rebooting it was a blue screen of death, and it got worse, corrupted files began being deleted from the drive.
Back up your files people, i now have 4 HDD, DVD and online backup.
This article really puts it clear why a good online storage service really is the way to go.
Ready to retrieve from anywhere and any device and all automatically backed up.

Mauricio Prinzlau

Mauricio is the ultimate shot-caller at Cloudwards.net. Having founded the site on a cold and rainy summer’s night in Hamburg back in 2013, he’s been working hard on making it the most authoritative resource for reviews on the internet. Currently his main concerns are industry relations and affiliate management, where his BA in Business Communication Management comes in very handy. Reach him at mauricio [at] cloudwards.net, though he’s a busy man so he’ll ask you to get straight to the point.